Education

Promote equal educational opportunity for each child through an equitable state aids formula while retaining substantial program and personnel responsibilities in the local district. (K-12; Wisconsin Technical College System; UW-System)

Elementary and Secondary Education

Promote equal educational opportunity for each child through an equitable state aids formula while retaining substantial program and personnel responsibilities in the local district.

Support of a system of state elementary and secondary education which includes:

An educational aids formula which primarily equalizes funds raised at similar taxing rates and, secondarily, equalizes spending per student, with the following qualifications:

a system of financing which ensures that a child's opportunity for a good education is not limited by the fiscal ability of the local district and that the state will assume a significant amount of educational financing.

a system of financing which promotes equality in educational opportunity with emphasis on instructional costs and adjusted funding for students with special educational needs.

Reorganization of school districts into K-12 systems.

Substantial control of school programs and personnel by the local school district.

Charter school authority given only to K-12 public school districts to maintain Wisconsin’s commitment to local control of K-12 public education.

A system of school choice within the public school system, but which does not include any tax dollars being given to private or religious schools.

A requirement of all institutions or organizations that receive public funds for K-12 education to meet the same requirements as public schools, including:

accounting for the use of public funds;

meeting performance standards for their students;

meeting the same state standards for all school employees.

Wisconsin Technical College System

Philosophy

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is an integral part of the educational system in Wisconsin. It should continue to provide education for both employment and life-long learning. The State WTCS Board is the appropriate level for developing, maintaining and supervising WTCS programs that receive state aid. Each technical college WTCS district board is the appropriate level for developing, maintaining and supervising programs that do not receive state aid.

Funding

The Wisconsin Technical College System should be financed through the present combination of sources (district property tax, state general revenue, federal aid, tuition fees, other sources). Leagues favor a shift to more reliance on tuition, private sector and state aids, and less reliance on the property tax if changes in funding are to occur.

There should be adequate financial support for vocational education in Wisconsin at the secondary and post-secondary levels.

Governance

State Wisconsin Technical College System board members should be appointed under a distribution formula that will ensure broad representation. It should include representatives of the following: employers, employees, farmers, women, geographic area representatives, minorities, Department of Labor and Human Relations, University of Wisconsin Regents (ex officio), and the Department of Education (ex officio).

District WTCS boards should be appointed by a committee made up of either county board chairs or school board presidents, depending on the boundaries of the WTCS district. A distributional formula should be used that includes representatives of the following: employers, employees, farmers, women, geographic area representatives, minorities and school administrators.

Relationship with the Secondary System

There should be increased cooperation between the secondary schools and WTCS systems to provide improved vocational education opportunities for secondary students. Forms of cooperation could include: contracts with local school districts, shared facilities and instructors, flexible scheduling, credits toward high school graduation, and granting of advanced standing when a student later enters a regular WTCS program.

Relationship with the University of Wisconsin System

The WTCS system should offer the college parallel program in districts that do not have a two-year UW center. Associate degree credits should continue to be transferable at the discretion of the receiving institution. The two systems should continue to coordinate efforts to serve the needs of a varied student clientele without unnecessary duplication.

University of Wisconsin Financing

Admission policies of the University of Wisconsin (UW) system should reflect the belief that every Wisconsin citizen should have access to a university education based on demonstrated academic ability, preferred student categories, and fiscal management goals.

Funding goals should include:

tuition levels based on instructional costs, with consideration given to keeping education affordable and making financial aid available;

increased funding for instruction following stated guidelines and providing sufficient instruction to enable graduation within four years;

county funding of UW center facilities.

Highest priority should be placed on instruction by tenure-track faculty, although other types of instruction should be included.

UW System faculty and academic staff salaries should be maintained at a level which attracts/retains superior teachers and assures gender equity.